Settler Violence Injures 11 Palestinians, Targets West Bank Harvests Amid Rising Attacks

A significant surge in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has been reported during the 2025 olive harvest season, marking one of the most intense periods in recent years. At least 11 Palestinians were injured in coordinated attacks across multiple villages, with settlers using live fire, vandalizing thousands of olive trees, and deliberately disrupting agricultural activities vital to Palestinian livelihoods. Extremist settler groups, such as the Hilltop Youth, have also targeted Palestinian vineyards, destroying a third of the grapevines at the Domaine Kassis farm near Birzeit, and have been implicated in other violent raids and intimidation campaigns. Palestinian authorities and local officials describe these actions as systematic efforts to displace residents and seize land, often with protection or complicity from Israeli military forces. The United Nations has confirmed that this escalation represents the highest level of settler violence in over a decade, with 126 attacks reported across 70 communities and widespread destruction of crops. This violence threatens the economic stability of up to 100,000 Palestinian families dependent on the olive harvest and agricultural sector in the West Bank.